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Votto given day of rest away from complex

Knee surgery made Joey Votto miss much of the second half of '12, but with full health, he should be amongst baseball's best hitters again

By Mark Sheldon
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MLB.com |

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There was no sign of first baseman Joey Votto at Reds camp on Friday, but that was preplanned. Shortstop Zack Cozart and outfielder Chris Heisey were also given breathers away from the complex.

"An unscheduled mental day off, not at the ballpark," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "I give them all days where they have one day not at the ballpark. Joey said he didn't feel good and was a little spent because he played the last two games of the WBC, the whole nine innings, which he wasn't accustomed to doing."

In two games for Cincinnati after Team Canada was eliminated in the first round of the World Baseball Classic, Votto is 0-for-3 with a walk. He played four innings on Thursday vs. the Mariners and went 0-for-2.

"I played him a couple of innings [Thursday] because I didn't want to give him two days off," Baker said.

In 11 games this spring, Votto is 7-for-21 (.333) with two doubles, one home run and five RBIs. He has had no setbacks with his surgically repaired left knee, which was a major concern for the club entering camp.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.